Friday, October 4, 2013

The Cautionary Instruction: Justice Reinvestment may not deliver on promises

Justice Reinvestment is sputtering in Ohio. The two-year-old plan to reduce Ohio’s prison inmate population is not having the hoped-for impact. The number of prisoners behind bars is expected to spike.

However, as in Ohio, the news in 2013 is not so cheery. For the first eight months of the year, Pennsylvania’s prison population is on the rise. This year, there are 254 more inmates in Pennsylvania’s prisons bringing the total as of August 31 to 51,438.

Ohio is currently at 131 percent of inmate capacity and could hit 139 percent by 2019. California’s prison system was declared unconstitutional at 140 percent. Pennsylvania is at a “modest” 110 percent of capacity.

About Matt

An analysis of crime and punishment from the perspective of a former prosecutor and current criminal justice practitioner.
The views expressed on this blog are solely those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or postions of any county, state or federal agency.